Isopod substrate

[BringontheBugs]

Hi Guys!

I caught some cool A.vulgare, and wanted to keep them but I only have coconut fiber and I know they should primarily have soil. I wanted to know if I can use coconut fiber in place of the soil because I have a bit of coconut fiber but don't have any soil. I would of course mix in some dead leaves and probably some decaying wood. Hope I can use coconut fiber!

 

[CosbyArt]

I don't use soil either in my isopod colony setup, just sphagnum peat moss and a leaf mixture, take a look at my post here. They have been going strong for over a year and have plenty of little ones at all times. If you use coconut fiber instead of the sphagnum peat moss you should be fine.

If you want to get fancy take a look at the isopod substrate Peter sells, he lists the basic ingredients. Other mixtures are also available by doing a quick search for isopod substrate on Google.

I'm also curious what isopod species is it you caught? As I can't find a listing for P. vulgare, but there is for Armadillidium vulgare.

 

[BringontheBugs]

I don't use soil either in my isopod colony setup, just sphagnum peat moss and a leaf mixture, take a look at my post here. They have been going strong for over a year and have plenty of little ones at all times. If you use coconut fiber instead of the sphagnum peat moss you should be fine.

If you want to get fancy take a look at the isopod substrate Peter sells, he lists the basic ingredients. Other mixtures are also available by doing a quick search for isopod substrate on Google.

I'm also curious what isopod species is it you caught? As I can't find a listing for P. vulgare, but there is for Armadillidium vulgare.

Yea, that was the reason I though they needed the soil because I saw Peters substrate, great to know they don't need it!

My bad, I meant Armadillidium vulgare, I also found one white sow bug with black and white striped antennae which I had only seen one other time in my yard.

 

[CosbyArt]

Yea, that was the reason I though they needed the soil because I saw Peters substrate, great to know they don't need it!

My bad, I meant Armadillidium vulgare, I also found one white sow bug with black and white striped antennae which I had only seen one other time in my yard.

Ah, well that makes sense then.

Yeah with leaves mixed in, and flat pieces of bark they will make their own "soil" in no time. My colony now has turned countless pieces of bark into their "soil" since I started them, I just add new pieces as needed for them to eat and hide under. I also add in fresh pieces of carrots and lettuce too, mine seem to devour the lettuce overnight.

Also it seems many keepers will take the "soil" isopods create and will use that to start new colonies or habitats.

 

[BringontheBugs]

Cool! Thanks for the advice!

 

[Golden State Vivs]

My base substrate blend for most all of my animalsis is coco fiber, coco husk, play sand and peat. for isopods I add dried crushed live oak leaf litter, live oak twigs and organic garden soil (which is just composted shredded wood).  I thoroughly dampened the substrate to start and mist once a week.  My master culture has been up for over 6 years and contains springtails (both temperate and tropical), Armadillium vulgare, Porcellio laevis and Trichorhina tomentosa.

I keep a large bin of substrate that I use to make new isopod cultures as well as using the substrate for my tarantulas, beetles, centipedes, millipedes and some scorpions.  When the substrate is moistened and allowed to dry it becomes incredibly stable, accommodating burrowing species very well.

The substrate mix has been successful in culturing giant orange isopods, calico isopods, dwarf white isopods, grey isopods, dwarf purple isopods and sowbugs.

Hope that helps!

 

[BringontheBugs]

My base substrate blend for most all of my animalsis is coco fiber, coco husk, play sand and peat. for isopods I add dried crushed live oak leaf litter, live oak twigs and organic garden soil (which is just composted shredded wood).  I thoroughly dampened the substrate to start and mist once a week.  My master culture has been up for over 6 years and contains springtails (both temperate and tropical), Armadillium vulgare, Porcellio laevis and Trichorhina tomentosa.

I keep a large bin of substrate that I use to make new isopod cultures as well as using the substrate for my tarantulas, beetles, centipedes, millipedes and some scorpions.  When the substrate is moistened and allowed to dry it becomes incredibly stable, accommodating burrowing species very well.

The substrate mix has been successful in culturing giant orange isopods, calico isopods, dwarf white isopods, grey isopods, dwarf purple isopods and sowbugs.

Hope that helps!

Thanks! I ended up using just some coconut fiber, sterilized decaying wood, and dead leaves, but I definitely will consider trying that one of these times!

 

[CosbyArt]

I thought I would show you the isopod "soil" I am referring to. They will consume flat pieces of bark, along with many other things, and they leave behind this "soil". I honestly am not sure what it is - if it waste they can not eat, has been eaten repetitively till they is nothing left, or if they will eat this as well in time.

I know ispods do no urinate (they pass ammonia gas through their exoskeleton), and they consume their own frass as well in a process called coprophagy. So what this "soil" material is truly made of I have no idea, besides the obvious pieces of tiny bark/wood. In time though a isopod colony builds this "soil" up, and is useful as a starting base for making other colonies and whatever else.

Here is a photo of the isopod "soil" with a tight macro shot, as this stuff is tiny (usually about 1mm in size). With just a naked eye it appears very rectangular.

 

[BringontheBugs]

I thought I would show you the isopod "soil" I am referring to. They will consume flat pieces of bark, along with many other things, and they leave behind this "soil". I honestly am not sure what it is - if it waste they can not eat, has been eaten repetitively till they is nothing left, or if they will eat this as well in time.

I know ispods do no urinate (they pass ammonia gas through their exoskeleton), and they consume their own frass as well in a process called coprophagy. So what this "soil" material is truly made of I have no idea, besides the obvious pieces of tiny bark/wood. In time though a isopod colony builds this "soil" up, and is useful as a starting base for making other colonies and whatever else.

Here is a photo of the isopod "soil" with a tight macro shot, as this stuff is tiny (usually about 1mm in size). With just a naked eye it appears very rectangular.

View attachment 7423

Interesting, my isopods will be creating a lot of that, since I collected about 35 P.scaber and C.convexus yesterday and added them to my A.vulgare enclosure!  

 

[CosbyArt]

Interesting, my isopods will be creating a lot of that, since I collected about 35 P.scaber and C.convexus yesterday and added them to my A.vulgare enclosure!  

Nice, sounds like your off to a great start then.

 

[Hisserdude]

I thought I would show you the isopod "soil" I am referring to. They will consume flat pieces of bark, along with many other things, and they leave behind this "soil". I honestly am not sure what it is - if it waste they can not eat, has been eaten repetitively till they is nothing left, or if they will eat this as well in time.

I know ispods do no urinate (they pass ammonia gas through their exoskeleton), and they consume their own frass as well in a process called coprophagy. So what this "soil" material is truly made of I have no idea, besides the obvious pieces of tiny bark/wood. In time though a isopod colony builds this "soil" up, and is useful as a starting base for making other colonies and whatever else.

Here is a photo of the isopod "soil" with a tight macro shot, as this stuff is tiny (usually about 1mm in size). With just a naked eye it appears very rectangular.

View attachment 7423

Yup, that's some good old isopod frass. Many of my isopods cage's substrates have been converted into this poop, and they don't seem to mind in the slightest.

 

[CosbyArt]

Yup, that's some good old isopod frass. Many of my isopods cage's substrates have been converted into this poop, and they don't seem to mind in the slightest.

Thanks for clarifying that, as I wasn't for sure what it really was. Yeah it is a bit strange to think the thicker it builds up the more they seem to burrow into it lol, well better than eating it.